In4Aut – Integration programme for people with autism

OFFICIAL PROJECT WEBSITE

About the project

The International Academy of Applied Sciences in Łomża is implementing the international project “In4Aut – Integration programme for people with autism”, co-funded by Erasmus+ under KA220-HED – Cooperation partnerships in higher education.

The project is coordinated by MANS and implemented in cooperation with universities and institutions from Italy, Spain, Greece and Poland. It aims to support the integration of people on the autism spectrum into the labour market by developing academic staff competences and creating specialist educational tools and materials.

The main objective of In4Aut is to increase the social and employment inclusion of people with autism through:

• developing tools to support inclusive education,
• preparing the In4Aut course for higher education,
• enhancing the teaching competences of university staff,
• extensive dissemination activities.

01.11.2024 – 30.04.2027 (30 months)

EUR 250,000.00

Project results

The In4Aut – Integration programme for people with autism project will deliver a set of substantive, organisational and educational results aimed at increasing inclusiveness in higher education and improving employment prospects for people on the autism spectrum (ASD):

1. A comprehensive methodological toolkit enabling the design and implementation of educational programmes focused on the needs of people with ASD. The toolkit includes a methodological framework, data collection templates (covering good practices, teaching methods and stakeholder views), and a guide to internal and external evaluation.
2. A modular In4Aut course, with educational content designed for students of social sciences, education, medical fields and human resource management. The course will be integrated into the educational offerings of partner universities as an independent unit or a component of existing subjects.
3. Professional development of academic staff through specialist training, involving at least 25 higher education representatives (academic teachers, lecturers and trainers). The training programme covers neurotypicality, inclusive education design, interpersonal communication and the design of learning environments that support diversity.
4. Pilot implementation of the In4Aut course at partner universities with at least 60 students, whose learning process will be evaluated and observed. This will enable empirical validation of the adopted methodology.
5. Increasing public awareness of the experiences of people with ASD in academic and employment settings, including through dissemination events, stakeholder debates and open-access publications.

The In4Aut project is implemented by an international consortium of five institutions from four European Union Member States, with established expertise in higher education, teaching innovation and social inclusion:

• International Academy of Applied Sciences in Łomża (Poland) – project coordinator, responsible for overall management, internal communication and financial administration.
• LUISS Guido Carli University (Italy) – a renowned university specialising in economics and management, leading the development of the In4Aut course.
• University of Murcia (Spain) – an institution with leading expertise in teaching innovation and support for people with special needs, leading the work on enhancing academic staff competences.
• Ekpedeftiki Paremvasi KDVM S.A. (Greece) – a centre specialising in vocational training and activities for persons with disabilities, responsible for implementing the practical component.
• InCREA Foundation (Poland) – an organisation with expertise in social innovation and the design of inclusive educational solutions, responsible for dissemination and evaluation activities.

Implementation of In4Aut will produce tangible educational and organisational outputs that will help improve the accessibility, quality and effectiveness of education for people with autism in higher education:

1. A methodology for designing inclusive courses – a document providing the theoretical and practical basis for designing teaching programmes for people with ASD.
2. A modular In4Aut course – including a syllabus, subject content, exercise sets and lesson plans prepared in accordance with universal design for learning principles.
3. A digital platform and OER (Open Educational Resources) – enabling broad replication and adaptation of the project results in other educational institutions across the EU.
4. A set of teaching materials and guides for teaching staff, supporting the preparation of classes that address the needs of neurodivergent students.
5. Translation, digitalisation and adaptation of teaching materials – ensuring full linguistic and technological accessibility.
6. Evaluation reports and validation tools – supporting further improvements and the integration of the results into higher education quality assurance systems.

The In4Aut officially began on 1 November 2024 and runs for 30 months. At the first working meeting, held online with all partners, the action plan and allocation of responsibilities for individual Work Packages were approved.

First project meeting

• Q1–Q2 2025: implementation of the methodology and working templates under WP2, organisation of stakeholder panels and internal consultations.
• Q3–Q4 2025: development and review of the In4Aut course content, and the start of its translation and digitalisation.
• 2026: piloting the course at partner universities, organising staff workshops and preparing for the final conference.

in person International Academy of Applied Sciences in Łomża ul. Studencka 19, 18-400 Łomża, Room 202

by telephone tel. +48 86 216 94 97

by email: igor.skrodzki@mans.edu.pl

rektorat@mans.edu.pl